National

Mumbai, Oct 21: The Bharatiya Janata Party has left both the Nationalist Congress Party and Shiv Sena guessing as the decision over the government formation will be taken after Diwali.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who is a BJP observer for Maharashtra, will visit the state only after Diwali to review the situation.

Singh said, "I will not go to Maharashtra today. I will go post-Diwali."

It has been two days since the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the Maharashtra polls by winning 123 out of 288 seats but is short of 22 seats to form government in the state.

The day the results were out, the NCP, which won 41 seats, offered unconditional support to the BJP. Party chief Sharad Pawar has said that his aim was to ensure a stable government in the state.

The BJP has not responded to the offer so far.

Senior Maharashtra BJP leaders have also reached out to the Shiv Sena for a possible post-poll alliance. The Sena has won 63 seats.

The BJP has already made it clear that they occupy the chief minister's post and will set conditions for the alliance. BJP's state president Devendra Fadnavis is the frontrunner for the chief minister's post.

Sena has also hit out at the NCP for extending support to the Bharatiya Janata Party to form government in Maharashtra.

Sena through its mouthpiece Saamana said, "Several parties are taking advantage of the fact that no party has got majority. The NCP an opportunist for extending support to BJP."